Victoria Australian rules football team
Encyclopedia
The Victorian Australian rules football team, also known as the Big V is the representative side of Victoria, Australia in the sport of Australian rules football
.
The senior men's side last played in the once-off AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
in 2008; prior to that, it had played representative games at least annually until 1999. The Big V dominated the first hundred years of intercolonial and interstate football before the change to State of Origin rules. The introduction of State of Origin rules in 1977 saw Victoria defeated by Western Australia
. South Australia
also challenged Victoria's superiority with many victories over the Big V between 1977–1999. Since the VFL/AFL became governing body, only players from the Australian Football League
are eligible for selection in the Victorian team.
After proposals to resurrect the Big V in a once-off AFL State of Origin carnival in 2008 to celebrate the game's 150th anniversary, the Big V made an appearance in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
on 10 May, an all-star game
, defeating the "Dream Team".
Victoria is also represented by the Big V at multiple levels and leagues (for example the AFL U18 National Championships, VFL
, amateur
and women's
). The guernsey is navy blue with a big white V (including serif
) across the chest and, more recently, the Victorian state logo in a crest at the top left of the V.
In some carnivals, particular the AFL's under 18 and under 16 national tournament, Victoria is represented by separate Metropolitan and Country teams. In this case, both teams wear a Big V design, but neither wears the state-wide colour combination: instead, Vic Metro wears a navy blue guernsey with sky blue V, and Vic Country wears a white guernsey with navy blue V.
. Between 1976 and 1999 senior state football was played under State of Origin
rules.
The first inter-colonial representative game of football was played between Victoria and South Australia
in 1979 with teams made up of Victorian Football Association and South Australia Football Association
players.
These 'inter-league' matches came to be viewed as the highest tier of Australian Football, with each state's ultimate goal being that of beating Victoria. The most important of these games were the Carnival games that were played intermittently between 1908 and 1993, Victoria winning 13, and coming runners-up in another 9. Some of these carnivals were competed by both the Victorian Football League
and Victorian Football Association representative teams. The VFL
team was generally regarded as the stronger of the two.
The final senior level State of Origin game, participated in by AFL
players was played in 1999, with Victoria beating South Australia by 54 points . Since this game, all Victorian representative teams, except the team that participated in the 2008 AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
, have consisted of VFL
players, competing against players of other state leagues.
and the E. J. Whitten Legends Game
, a game which also features the Masters Australian Football
equivalent of the Big V. Many other players represented Victoria on numerous occasions, and other regular State of Origin greats include Dale Weightman
, Paul Roos
and Robert Harvey
.
Although the Victorian team no longer competes at senior level, the E. J. Whitten Legends Game and matches between the VFL and the SANFL
and WAFL
feature Victorian representative sides.
association football club and the Big V
basketball league).
Victorian Football League
National Under 18 Championships
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
.
The senior men's side last played in the once-off AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
The AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match was a one-off all-star game between two representative sides organised by the Australian Football League to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Australian rules football....
in 2008; prior to that, it had played representative games at least annually until 1999. The Big V dominated the first hundred years of intercolonial and interstate football before the change to State of Origin rules. The introduction of State of Origin rules in 1977 saw Victoria defeated by Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
also challenged Victoria's superiority with many victories over the Big V between 1977–1999. Since the VFL/AFL became governing body, only players from the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
are eligible for selection in the Victorian team.
After proposals to resurrect the Big V in a once-off AFL State of Origin carnival in 2008 to celebrate the game's 150th anniversary, the Big V made an appearance in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
The AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match was a one-off all-star game between two representative sides organised by the Australian Football League to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Australian rules football....
on 10 May, an all-star game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
, defeating the "Dream Team".
Victoria is also represented by the Big V at multiple levels and leagues (for example the AFL U18 National Championships, VFL
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
, amateur
Victorian Amateur Football Association
The Victorian Amateur Football Association is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia consisting purely of amateur players. Unlike the Victorian Football League and the VFL/AFL, the VAFA has always been strictly a purely amateur league and has affiliations with both AFL Victoria...
and women's
Victorian Women's Football League
The Victorian Women's Football League is the oldest and largest Australian rules football league for women in the world, consisting of 22 clubs and 30 teams from Victoria, Australia across four divisions and a total of over 1,000 players....
). The guernsey is navy blue with a big white V (including serif
Serif
In typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. A typeface with serifs is called a serif typeface . A typeface without serifs is called sans serif or sans-serif, from the French sans, meaning “without”...
) across the chest and, more recently, the Victorian state logo in a crest at the top left of the V.
In some carnivals, particular the AFL's under 18 and under 16 national tournament, Victoria is represented by separate Metropolitan and Country teams. In this case, both teams wear a Big V design, but neither wears the state-wide colour combination: instead, Vic Metro wears a navy blue guernsey with sky blue V, and Vic Country wears a white guernsey with navy blue V.
History
Victorian representative teams have participated in games against other Australian states since the 1870s. Originally these games were played between teams representing the major leagues of each state. For Victoria this meant the Victorian Football Association and the Victorian Football LeagueVictorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
. Between 1976 and 1999 senior state football was played under State of Origin
State of Origin
State of Origin is the name used in Australia for one existing sporting event which involves domestic representative teams. The term, when used in isolation, usually refers to rugby league football, and occassionally Australian Football matches, in which players are selected for the Australian...
rules.
The first inter-colonial representative game of football was played between Victoria and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in 1979 with teams made up of Victorian Football Association and South Australia Football Association
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
players.
These 'inter-league' matches came to be viewed as the highest tier of Australian Football, with each state's ultimate goal being that of beating Victoria. The most important of these games were the Carnival games that were played intermittently between 1908 and 1993, Victoria winning 13, and coming runners-up in another 9. Some of these carnivals were competed by both the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
and Victorian Football Association representative teams. The VFL
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
team was generally regarded as the stronger of the two.
The final senior level State of Origin game, participated in by AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
players was played in 1999, with Victoria beating South Australia by 54 points . Since this game, all Victorian representative teams, except the team that participated in the 2008 AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match
The AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match was a one-off all-star game between two representative sides organised by the Australian Football League to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Australian rules football....
, have consisted of VFL
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
players, competing against players of other state leagues.
Ted Whitten
Ted E.J. Whitten, also known as "Mr Football" was one of the greatest Victorian players of all time, representing the state 29 times. He was the most influential figure for the Big V, and was known for his passionate support for interstate football; following Whitten's death in 1995, interest in representative football faded, and eventually ceased after 1999. He is honoured with the E. J. Whitten MedalE. J. Whitten Medal
The E.J. Whitten Medal is awarded to the best Victorian player in a VFL/AFL State of Origin football match. The award is named after the late and great Ted Whitten, also known as Mr. Football, who played for and coached Footscray and known for his role in Victorian football...
and the E. J. Whitten Legends Game
E. J. Whitten Legends Game
The E. J. Whitten Legends Game is an annual charity Australian rules football All-star game, where retired star players are reunited, along with selected non-footballing celebrities, in a State of Origin interstate game, between Victoria and the All Stars .-History:E. J...
, a game which also features the Masters Australian Football
Masters Australian Football
Masters Australian Football is a sport based on the game of Australian rules football for players aged 35 years and over. The sport first commenced officially on 21 September 1981, after being founded by John Hammer in 1980 in Nhill, Victoria.Modifications to the rules reduce the physical impact...
equivalent of the Big V. Many other players represented Victoria on numerous occasions, and other regular State of Origin greats include Dale Weightman
Dale Weightman
Dale "Flea" Weightman is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Australian Football League between 1978 and 1993....
, Paul Roos
Paul Roos (Australian rules footballer)
Paul Roos is a former Australian rules football player and coach in the VFL and Australian Football League.Playing the majority of his career with Fitzroy, Roos was one of the teams greats, captaining the side for a long time and was acknowledged as its best player for several seasons, being named...
and Robert Harvey
Robert Harvey (footballer)
Robert Jeffrey Harvey is a former Australian rules football player for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League...
.
Although the Victorian team no longer competes at senior level, the E. J. Whitten Legends Game and matches between the VFL and the SANFL
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
and WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
feature Victorian representative sides.
Big V in popular culture
The Australian rules side was the first to use the "Big V" motif, which was later used by other codes (for example, the shirt of the Melbourne VictoryMelbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
association football club and the Big V
Big V
The Big V is the senior basketball league in Victoria, Australia comprising 102 semi-professional teams in 10 competitions.These competitions comprise both genders, and incorporate four levels of senior competition , three levels for women and youth leagues...
basketball league).
Carnival Record
Victorian Football LeagueVictorian Football LeagueThe Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
/ Victoria State of Origin Team
- 19081908 Melbourne CarnivalThe 1908 Melbourne Carnival was the inaugural Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was known at the time as the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival as it commemorated 50 years of Australian rules football.-Teams:The Victorian team was...
: 1st - 19111911 Adelaide CarnivalThe 1911 Adelaide Carnival was the second edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
: 2nd - 19141914 Sydney CarnivalThe 1914 Sydney Carnival was the third edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
: 1st - 19211921 Perth CarnivalThe 1921 Perth Carnival was the fourth edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
: 2nd - 19241924 Hobart CarnivalThe 1924 Hobart Carnival was the fifth edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
: 1st - 19271927 Melbourne CarnivalThe 1927 Melbourne Carnival was the sixth edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
: 1st - 19301930 Adelaide CarnivalThe 1930 Adelaide Carnival was the seventh edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
: 1st - 19331933 Sydney CarnivalThe 1933 Sydney Carnival was the eighth edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
: 1st - 19371937 Perth CarnivalThe 1937 Perth Carnival was the ninth edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition.-Overview:...
: 1st - 19471947 Hobart CarnivalThe 1947 Hobart Carnival was the tenth edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition.North Hobart Oval hosted the matches during the carnival, most of them under heavy rain...
: 1st - 19501950 Brisbane CarnivalThe 1950 Brisbane Carnival was the 11th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was the first carnival to be hosted in Queensland....
: 1st - 19531953 Adelaide CarnivalThe 1953 Adelaide Carnival was the 12th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
: 1st - 19561956 Perth CarnivalThe 1956 Perth Carnival was the 13th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It took place from 11 June to 23 June at Subiaco Oval, Perth....
: 1st - 19581958 Melbourne CarnivalThe 1958 Melbourne Carnival was the 14th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
: 1st - 19611961 Brisbane CarnivalThe 1961 Brisbane Carnival was the 15th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was the last carnival to be held in Queensland....
: 2nd - 19661966 Hobart CarnivalThe 1966 Hobart Carnival was the 16th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was the final time that Tasmania hosted a carnival....
: 1st - 19691969 Adelaide CarnivalThe 1969 Adelaide Carnival was the 17th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
: 1st - 19721972 Perth CarnivalThe 1972 Perth Carnival was the 18th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition....
: 1st - 19751975 Knockout CarnivalThe 1975 Knockout Carnival was the 19th Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition .The carnival was due to take place in Melbourne but as it would have interrupted the 1975 VFL season the organisers made a shortened version. Just three games were to...
: 1st - 19791979 Perth State of Origin CarnivalThe 1979 Perth State of Origin Carnival was the 20th Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football competition. It was the first carnival to take place under the State of Origin format....
: 2nd - 19801980 Adelaide State of Origin CarnivalThe 1980 Adelaide State of Origin Carnival was the 21st Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football competition. It was just the second carnival to take place under the State of Origin format....
: 1st - 19881988 Adelaide Bicentennial CarnivalThe 1988 Adelaide Bicentennial Carnival was the 22nd edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football State of Origin competition. Australia was celebrating its Bicentenary in 1988 so the carnival was known as the 'Bicentennial Carnival'...
: 2nd, Section 1
Victorian Football Association
- 19501950 Brisbane CarnivalThe 1950 Brisbane Carnival was the 11th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was the first carnival to be hosted in Queensland....
: 5th - 19531953 Adelaide CarnivalThe 1953 Adelaide Carnival was the 12th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
: 4th - 19561956 Perth CarnivalThe 1956 Perth Carnival was the 13th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It took place from 11 June to 23 June at Subiaco Oval, Perth....
: 5th - 19581958 Melbourne CarnivalThe 1958 Melbourne Carnival was the 14th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition...
: 5th - 19661966 Hobart CarnivalThe 1966 Hobart Carnival was the 16th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was the final time that Tasmania hosted a carnival....
: 5th - 19881988 Adelaide Bicentennial CarnivalThe 1988 Adelaide Bicentennial Carnival was the 22nd edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football State of Origin competition. Australia was celebrating its Bicentenary in 1988 so the carnival was known as the 'Bicentennial Carnival'...
: 2nd, Section 2
National Under 18 ChampionshipsAFL National Under 18 ChampionshipsThe NAB AFL Under 18 Championships are the annual national Australian rules football championships for players aged 18 years or younger. The competition is seen as one of the main pathways towards being drafted into a team in the fully professional Australian Football League...
- Victoria (1976-1988) 9: 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988
- Vic Country (1989-) 6: 1989, 1992 (Div 2), 1994 (Div 2), 2000, 2003, 2010
- Vic Metro (1989-) 14: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011